


The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most

by middlemarch



Category: Mercy Street (TV)
Genre: Deleted Scenes, F/M, Female Friendship, Gen, Gift Giving, Historical Dress, Letters, Murder Mystery, Outtakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23915551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/middlemarch/pseuds/middlemarch
Summary: In which a promise is kept by the Fosters.
Relationships: Charlotte Jenkins & Belinda Gibson, Charlotte Jenkins & Mary Phinney, Eliza Foster/Jedediah "Jed" Foster, Jedediah "Jed" Foster/Mary Phinney
Comments: 10
Kudos: 7





	The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Mansion House Murder](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23384296) by [BroadwayBaggins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BroadwayBaggins/pseuds/BroadwayBaggins), [Fericita](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fericita/pseuds/Fericita), [MercuryGray](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercuryGray/pseuds/MercuryGray), [middlemarch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/middlemarch/pseuds/middlemarch), [sagiow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagiow/pseuds/sagiow), [tortoiseshells](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tortoiseshells/pseuds/tortoiseshells). 



“When I told her, Auntie Belinda insisted. She says, she knows how it is to work for that Green family and she knows what a body needs to stay strong enough for the soul,” Charlotte said, pouring out a liberal measure of Belinda’s fragrant dewberry shrub for Leah and a smaller cup for herself. She wasn’t working for the Greens but even being around the family, not even saving Mrs. Stringfellow, had a way of sapping the spirit. Leah took a long swallow and smiled.

“She’s a kind woman,” Leah said. She might have said something more but then a young boy appeared, laden with parcels wrapped in brown paper and tied with a vast quantity of string, far more than was needful.

“Miz Leah, this’m was sent for you and there’s others for a Missis Diggs.”

“I’m Missis Diggs,” Charlotte said. “What’s your name?

“Caleb, ma’am.”

“You got a place to sleep, Caleb?”

“Yes’m,” he said, scuttling off before she could say another word to him. Without the parcels, he was fleet of foot and eager to be off.

“Charlotte, would you read this? I know my letters but I don’t find it easy, and I admit, I’m powerful curious ‘bout what’s inside,” Leah said, handing her the card that was tucked within the labyrinth of string. 

“It’s no trouble,” Charlotte said, opening the envelope, addressed in an elegant, copperplate hand to _Miss Leah Jackson, Mansion House Hotel, Alexandria, Virginia_.

> “Madam,  
>  I hope you will accept the enclosed items as adequate recompense for your personal belongings which lately suffered irreparable damage.
> 
> With the most sincere regard and heart-felt appreciation,  
>  Jedediah T. Foster, MD
> 
> Post-scriptum: There should be adequate lengths of calico, muslin, thread, and notions to make a useful dress and apron. Dr. Foster insisted upon the blue silk and lace—Mary Foster”

“Dear Lord!” Leah exclaimed as yards of watered silk spilled out of the paper wrapping, the hue Mary simply called _blue_ a rich, shimmering azure shading into cobalt. There was a quantity of intricately embroidered ivory lace net and then, seemingly miles below, a length of a cheerful calico in a tawny shade pricked out with red and yellow blossoms, a housewife full of needles and thread, buttons, ribbon, and plenty of fine white muslin for petticoats and chemise. Charlotte opened the card attached to her own package, glimpsed Dr. Foster’s signature with its bold flourishes and Mary’s briefer message _He will have his own way—I dissuaded him from the dahlia at least! M_ as she saw taffeta in the vivid yellow of a summer sunset fill her own lap. It rustled delicately as if it had a thousand secrets to confide.

“What’s he thinkin’? This is—I ain’t never seen anything like this,” Leah said, touching the silk with a gentle hand. The color was intense, jewel-like, and perfectly suited to Leah. Charlotte knew she would never have picked out the rich gold taffeta for herself but she was also well aware she would have lingered over it at the dry goods store, if there was ever a dry goods store for black people that regularly stocked such luxurious items and she could bring herself to spend the money on something entirely frivolous when so much was needed by so many. 

“This is Dr. Foster, pure ‘n simple. He’s a magpie, a peacock, you’ve only to look at how he dresses himself,” Charlotte replied, smiling. “But he’s a man, he’s only allowed vests to splash out. And Mrs. Foster won’t stand for a lot of fol-de-rol or flash.”

“But I heard the blonde lady, the one in a dress so bright looks like she stole down the sky, she said she was Miz Foster. Had been, somesuch chatter,” Leah said, shaking her head. 

“Oh, her. I meant the Mrs. Foster he loves,” Charlotte said.

“She’s the one sendin’ buttons and thread?” Leah asked.

“Yes. She knows what’ll be needed to make a dress out of all this,” Charlotte said. “One you can work in. She’s no stranger to work, nor to these kitchens.”

“She a friend of yours?”

“You might say that,” Charlotte replied. 

“And that Doctor Foster? He a friend too?” Leah said, not put off by Charlotte’s sudden brevity.

“I don’t rightly know what I’d call him,” Charlotte shrugged. The man he’d been, no, but who he’d become… he wanted to be trusted, she knew that, but she couldn’t be sure. Leah laughed.

“You called him a peacock, not two minutes ago. There’s your answer, ain’t it?”

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Ruskin.
> 
> I once again had a banner day researching fabric dyes popular the late 19th century (pro-tip, don't get the Scheele green dress-- it might kill you because ARSENIC!). And the peacocks are now, at this point, de rigeur.
> 
> Shrub is basically period appropriate Gatorade.


End file.
